Report Highlights
- 501,590 individuals turned to a food bank in 2017-2018
- The number of seniors accessing a food bank grew by 10% over the previous year (3x faster than the general senior population)
- 74% of seniors accessing food banks are either rental or social housing tenants, and only 10% own their homes
- 77% of seniors in the general population own their home
- The value of government transfers to seniors has remained stagnant while the cost of living has continued to rise
- As a result, more seniors have started to fall below the poverty line and turn to food banks for assistance when their retirement savings and benefits fall short of meeting their monthly expenses.